An imaging cell includes a skimming gate transistor coupled between a photosensitive charge node and an intermediate node and a transfer gate transistor coupled between the intermediate node and a sense node. The skimming gate transistor includes a vertical gate electrode structure formed by a first capacitive deep trench isolation extending into a substrate and a second capacitive deep trench isolation extending into the substrate. A channel of the skimming gate transistor is positioned between the first and second capacitive deep trench isolations. Each capacitive deep trench isolation is formed by a trench that is lined with an insulating liner and filled with a conductive or semiconductive material.